One Ancient Commodore Amiga Runs the Heat and AC for 19 Public Schools

The 30-year-old computer has been running day and night for decades

Somewhere in Grand Rapids, Michigan, there is an ancient Commodore Amiga that is hard at work. For over a quarter century it has been controlling the heat and air conditioning at 19 different schools and running nonstop. It's still kicking, for now anyway.

The Commodore Amiga was new to GRPS in the early 1980s and it has been working tirelessly ever since. GRPS Maintenance Supervisor Tim Hopkins said that the computer was purchased with money from an energy bond in the 1980s. It replaced a computer that was "about the size of a refrigerator."

Since then, the machine has tirelessly controlled the heating and AC systems at the 19 schools under its jurisdiction using a system that sends out commands over short-wave radio frequencies. The trouble is, those same frequencies are used by maintenance workers' walkie-talkies which can cause interference.

That, and it'd be next to impossible to find the parts—specifically a 1200-bit modem—to fix the machine should it give out. The 30-year-old system is a little sub-optimal (go figure), and should it give out, the systems at the affected schools would have to be controlled by hand.

The trusty computer is up for a replacement though. If the local voters pass a $175 million bond proposal in November, the computer and the associated system will be replaced at a cost of around $2 million. It's clearly a much needed upgrade, but you kind of have to wonder how much longer that Amiga could last.

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